


Five Times Jayne Cobb Was Always There . . . And One Time He Wasn't

by beetle



Category: Firefly, Serenity (2005)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-02
Updated: 2013-05-02
Packaged: 2017-12-10 04:00:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/781517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beetle/pseuds/beetle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for bookaddict43's prompt, Jayne/Kaylee - They're at the table eating, when she realises that Jayne's always there. Went a bit off prompt, and tied in a bit of an old prompt I'd yet to make good on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Times Jayne Cobb Was Always There . . . And One Time He Wasn't

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Who knows? The Shadow knows.  
> Notes/Warnings: Vague spoilers for Firefly and Serenity.

“Oh, that'un? That's just Jayne Cobb.” Cap'n Reynolds says when Kaylee notes they're being followed 'round the ship. “He's always there, pay him no mind, 't'all, Miss Kaywinnet.”  
  
“You c'n call me Kaylee.” She pats Serenity's engine fondly. Under her hand an urgent clanging starts.  
  
The Cap'n turns red about the face and rocks on his heels. “Well, alright. 'Nough jawin'. Gotta be in New Dunsmuir in three weeks,  _dong ma_?”  
  
“Yep!” Kaylee cheerfully slides under the engine like she was born there. She doesn't notice Cap'n Reynolds wander off.  
  
She doesn't notice Jayne Cobb wander back.  
  
  


*

  
  
Their newest passenger is so pretty, Kaylee don't know what to do with herself.  
  
  
So first, what she does is hang around the Companion's shuttle—when duties permit—and watch, hoping she ain't noticed.  
  
  
But she is. By someone  _she_  barely notices, anymore.  
  
  
“Thought I told you stop followin' me,” she whispers. Close as Jayne is, she can smell him. He don't smell near as bad as he used to.  
  
  
“And miss you peepin' on 'Nara?” He laughs, peering over her head and around the corner. “She with a client?”  
  
  
“Naw. Not for hours, yet.”  
  
  
Jayne keeps watch with her.  
  
  


*

  
  
Kaylee swings her legs out into the space over the loading bay, and cocks an ear.  
  
  
“Now  _ain't_  a good time, Jayne.”  
  
  
He hunkers down next to her. “Don' reckon it is, what with you nearly gettin' ventilated by that walkin' meat-locker.”  
  
  
“ _Ben tian sheng piyan!_ ”  
  
  
“Wah! You kiss Tracy with that filthy mouth?”  
  
  
Lord help her for her unkind, uncharitable thoughts, but . . . she wishes it were Jayne going into that cold, merciless ground. Anyone, other than. . . .  
  
  
They spend the rest of the night, looking out over cargo and empty boxes and swinging their legs into space and silence.  
  
  


*

  
  
_”It's great, it really is. All the sex, an' the talkin' about things. About_ her _.  
  
  
“Wasn't sure how I'd handle never bein' first in his life, but it ain't so bad. And she's just . . . special. She needs her brother, and he needs his mei-mei. 'Course I couldn't get in the way of that!  
  
  
“It's enough that I got a piece. Ain't never been one to go covetin' the whole pie!”_  
  
  
“Wei?"  
  
  
Kaylee blinks up at Jayne.  
  
  
“Sorry,  _shen me_?”  
  
  
Jayne rolls his eyes. “ _Ast_  how you was doin'?”  
  
  
Kaylee smiles, big and bright and fake. “Oh! I'm fine as paint!”  
  
  


*

  
  
Ain't a damn thing to see or know 'cept blood an' chaos when a job goes this bad.  
  
  
Few have  _ever_  gone  _this_  bad.  
  
  
From the moment Zoe and the Cap'n come stumblin' up the ramp—half draggin' Jayne and the new merc, Yoichi-Tana, up the ramp--till Simon says what they already could see with their own eyes, about how Yoichi-Tana was dead, and Jayne weren't likely to last the night neither, Kaylee ain't been able to take a single breath.  
  
  
Because Jayne Cobb don't go away right? He's always there.  
  
  
'Cept when he ain't--  
  
  
Which ain't hardly  _never_.  
  
  
Still. Kaylee holds her breath. And prays.  
  
  


*

  
  
“You're always there.”  
  
  
Stupefied, Jayne looks up from wolfin' his porridge. His face is still too drawn. “Yeah. When I'm hungry.”  
  
  
Kaylee marches into the kitchen, puts her hand over his mouth, and gets spit and porridge on her fingers. “I need to say this real quick, 'fore I change my mind.”  
  
  
But even after a few minutes of trying, Kaylee can't find the words she wants. Can only stare and stare, and wonder at how fragile  _always_  can be.  
  
  
“Ahwhum,” Jayne mutters irritably, and Kaylee thinks  _to hell with it!_  
  
  
They don't stop kissing till the porridge is cold.


End file.
